Most of all, I wish you love

 Hi there.  Harry's Mom here.  You may have noticed his posts tapering off.  Our apologies.  I feel it is time to let those who have been following Harry's blog and FB page know that our boy is not doing so well right now.

We don't actually know how old he is.  His life before being rescued is a total mystery.  While he was estimated to be nearly 2 years at the time he came to us, I thought he might actually be younger because he grew a bit and his fur filled in so much.  In retrospect, that could have been the result of a long period of neglect and malnutrition.  We think he is nine, but he could be 10 or 11.  

Alas, even "designer" dogs, cats, people...don't come with any guarantees.

Our walks are brief (his decision), our nights are restless because of our concern.  He is eating well.  He enjoys his furball family, all of whom give him nose boops and lots of schmoozes.

We are watching him carefully.  Believe me, if he shows any signs of pain...when that happy meter no longer waggles...we will not let him suffer.

Thank you for reading about our sweet boy.  

Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome...

 Hi, folks!  Gosh, has it been hot! I've been having a lazy, long hot summer.  Of course, the kitties keep me busy.  I have to make sure they don't steal my food, or my beds.  Sometimes I have to "shoo" them out of my beds.  They are getting a little better at behaving.  I must be a very good trainer!!

And guess what?  We have ANOTHER ONE!!  This one is a little, tiny girl kitten.  Her name is "Notte"...that means "night" in Italian.  Mom says she is a "bella Notte!" That makes an awful lot of kitties for me to be in charge of!!

It's been too hot to take long walks.  So I haven't been to the gelato store in a while, where I get my ice cream.  But that's ok because Mom made some at home just for me!!  AND it's peanut butter, just like I used to have back across the big ocean!!  I LOVE IT!!! 

 

Sure hope it cools down soon so I can spend more time outside exploring!

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Six cats.  We have six cats.  That was  not the plan, but that is what has happened.  Just as we were getting ready to have the recent Mamma spayed (and getting her kittens used to us)  some sick monster dropped poison in the street.  Mamma and one kitten died, and also Scruff's "brother" Sib.  It was awful.

Then little Notte was an orphan.  She had already been introduced to us by her mother, so she came to our door often.  Soon she started playing in the courtyard and sleeping near our door, which is not a wise or safe thing to do....so we took her in.

She has acclimated quickly and easily and has become one of "the gang."  

Scruff and Missy Tee, the first ones to come inside, are now official full-fledged house cats with the run of the place both day and night.  Because they are still "kittens"...the others spend the night in their luxurious accomodations in the back room.  Soon, Imp and Calzini will graduate too.  At some point we won't need any cages anymore.  

African winds are making for a hot, dry spell which we hope ends soon.  It is just too hot to walk anywhere and we don't want to hurt Harry's paws.  So I made him "ice cream" from peanut butter and plain Greek yogurt - just like old times!!

We are family....

Hey!  I had some allergy problems but now I get smelly oily stuff in my breakfast.  I like it and it is helping me with my allergy.  

We are getting around outside a little more than before, too!  I had some yogurt a couple of times!  Yay!  I love going to the gelato store, and they remembered me even though we weren't there for a long time!  

But it's ok because I have lots of company at home now and lots of things to check up on!  Like...have the kitties had breakfast?  Where are they all?  Is someone in one of MY beds?  Why are they running around like they are all crazy?  

Lupo is the nuttiest.  He's still a baby, though.  He likes to play all  the time!  The kitties have lots of toys to play with...they have a little mousey thing and a tunnel, and they have balls that jingle and some that don't.  I get tired just trying to keep track of all these kitties!

I get along just fine with all of them.  Calzini gives me nose boops.  So does Missy Tee.  Scuff is friendly.  Lupo is crazy!  And then there is Imp.  Imp likes me a lot.  Maybe he thinks we are "related?"  Hahaha.  I don't know, but he likes to be IN my bed with me and hang out next to me.  I guess he's my favorite!  Can you find him in this picture???  

It's been a long, cold, lonely winter...

Oh, hey!  Hi!!  It's been really quiet around here for a long, long time.  I don't know why, but we just haven't been getting out a lot, and our walks have been short, and there is no one around anyway.  

I've been keeping busy with kitties.  Lots and lots of kitties.  I don't mind them too much, only sometimes.  Like when they steal my beds and then they won't get up when I ask them to.  Mmmmmph.  I get a little annoyed.

One of them tries to take food out of my bowl, too.  I don't like that either.  So now we all eat at the same time.  

And we have another kitty now.  His name is Lupo.  He is sort of in the house and sort of not right now.  I guess everyone is taking their time getting used to him.  He is a strange little dude.  He has a funny voice and he talks a lot.  He's sort of ugly but he's very friendly.  Sometimes he is TOO friendly and tries to play with me.  Or he wakes me up when I am having a nice nap.  He's just a baby, I guess.  

Then, finally, on a nice day the whole pack took a big walk!  I was so, so, so happy.  And guess what?  My ice cream store was open!!  Yeah!!  I had ice cream again.  I couldn't believe it.  It's been such a long time!

Maybe I can get back to having adventures now!  I sure hope so!

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The quarantine is slowly being lifted with gradual reopenings.  Hours are still restricted, restaurants are "take out" only.  Barriers are in place inside businesses and masks are mandatory.

But, in spite of that, life is returning to some semblance of the former normal.  Cafes are open, again with limited hours for now.  But we took the opportunity to go to ConAmore for gelato, and a yogurt for Harry, which he happily slurped down.

Truthfully, I have been quite worried about Harry lately and so I was not able to write.  He had a couple of blood tests taken because of a problem he has been having and we had to await the results.  Turns out, he has allergies, just as he did in New Jersey.  We are once again adding Omega3 to his food every day and he is improving.  

Meanwhile, the kittens are becoming regular homebodies.  Lupo (Wolf) has recently joined the cast of characters.  He is about 6 or 7 months old.  I have no idea where he came from, but he was a mess.  An extremely friendly mess.  Now that he is clean and well fed, he is looking somewhat better.  He has not been neutered yet, so he sleeps in his luxurious accommodations (a cage with a loft bed) in the cortile.  It is raised off the tiles and covered in an old quilt to keep him warm at night.  

We've been working on his gradual introduction because both Scruff and Imp were rather miffed at his presence.  They are, however, coming around.  

In about a week he will visit the vet and come inside permanently.  

I'm changing...arranging....I'm changing...

I've been cooped up with these kitties an awful lot lately.  We don't go on our big walks anymore and I hardly ever see my buddies.  I saw Re the other day.  Once in a while I get to say hello to Jack.  And we NEVER go for gelato, either.  I really miss that.  It's getting really nice outside, so I don't understand why we never go anywhere anymore.

At least I got to go out on my balcony.  My comfy pad is out there again.  I like to check on my kingdom.  Funny...it is very, very quiet out there.  Almost no one goes walking by.  

And, guess what?  I used to be annoyed by the kitties.  Mom keeps saying, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."  **Sigh**   So, I decided to be more like a kitty.  It is working out pretty well, too.  I let them "schmooze" me.  I even learned how to do it myself!!  Sometimes I schmooze Mom and Dad.  Haha...really, I do!  

And it is much better, too, since I decided to have my dinner at the same time as those pesky kittens.  That way they don't bother me and try to steal my spagetters.  

I had to put my paws down, though, about  my favorite bed.  Every one of them tries to take over my favorite bed.  They have lots and lots of soft, comfy places to plop.  My bed is OFF limits!!  It's really easy.  I just start getting into my bed...and pretty soon they have no room...so they HAVE to move!  No more Mr. Nice Pup from me!

Otherwise, it's been boring.  But I will keep you posted about how I am becoming a cat. Sort of.  

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We are in the fifth week of quarantine.  The town provides daily updates via social media about the status.  Currently, we are still a "Red Zone" until April 19th.  

The house is clean, the laundry is more than caught up, and cats and Harry are settling into routines and getting more comfortable with one another.

Stay home, stay healthy.

Our house is a very, very, very fine house

Wow, we have had really, really short walks lately.  And my whole pack doesn't go out much, either.  I guess it's because it's been really COLD!!  It snowed!  Really!  So, I get on my Kodiak coat and go out and get right to business and then I pull Dad back home because that is where I want to be! I don't like the cold.  I don't like snow and I don't like rain.  I like my couch.

Besides, I haven't seen anybody outside in a long time.  I guess they don't like the cold either!  No hoomans and none of my friends, either.  

That's ok.  I like it inside.  And I have to watch the kitties, too, it's my job.  I have to make sure they don't steal my couch.  They try to do that a lot.  

I guess it will be another day of snuggling with my little buddies.  

We are in day number 24 of quarantine.  We are officially a "Red Zone"...anyone coming in or leaving requires permission from the Mayor. 

The weather has been UNUSUALLY cold - after a couple of days of cold, bone chilling rain, it snowed yesterday and there was another little squall this morning.  Normally, the windows would be open and the balcony ready for warm, summer days.  The only good thing is that this miserable weather is helping to keep people indoors.

All stores that are open (food supplies, pharmacies) are restricting entry to one person at a time - mask and gloves required.  There are also plexiglass barriers protecting the supermarket clerks and the pharmacists. Everything else is closed.  

We have kittens, Harry, books, Netflix, music and plenty of good food and wine.  I refuse to complain.  Except about the weather.  The weather is just...insane.  

Keeping safe.  Salute. #IORESTOACASA  (I STAY AT HOME)

Every move you make, every step you take...

The pack has been staying inside and at home a lot lately.   I don't mind that at all, I love having my pack all together.  But now there are kitties.  Lots of kitties.  In my house.  And they are getting all around the house, too.

At first they stayed in their room in the back.  Now they are all over the place!  

I like kitties, I really do, but sometimes this is  just ridiculous.  I have to keep my eye on them all the time.

They like my water bowl.  I guess I must have way better water than they do.  That doesn't bother me too much.  But one of them, Scruff, has discovered my food bowl, too and that does not make me happy because he steals my spagetters.  I love my spagetters.  Stay away from my spagetters, Scruff.

Then there's Missy Tee.  *SIGH*  She likes ME.  She's always getting under my feet and leaning up against me.  That's ok.   But NOW she wants to nap with me.  She used to plop down near me, or up on the people couch....but NOW she's getting into MY bed when I am IN it!!! 

One time when she did that she put little needles in my back!  THAT I did not like.  

She can stay next to me as long as she behaves and doesn't take those little needles out...You hear me, Tee Tee?  No needles!! 

There are two other kitties but they still stay in the back room...mostly...not all the time.  

Watching over them is exhausting.

*******************************************************************************IItaly is under quarantine due to the Covid-19 virus.  Nothing in our town is open other than the medical offices, supermarkets and pharmacies.  People are advised to remain at home except for necessities.

Of course, Harry still has to go for walks, but we keep them short, wear masks and avoid the main streets where it would be more likely to see someone.

It is eerily quiet, especially for an Italian village that bustles by morning and evening...where people are accustomed to greeting one another, embracing, chatting on a daily basis.

Other than Harry's walks, we have been remaining inside.  It turns out, this has been a good opportunity for the kittens to acclimate to their new home.  They have been spending more and more time out of their cages.

Two of them, Tee and Scruff, have been brave and explored every nook and cranny.  Tee is the most comfortable of all - sauntering around wherever she wants, usually settling down somewhere, either on a lap, a couch or one of Harry's vacant beds.  She has now decided that sidling up to him is what she really wants to do!  Harry looked a bit worried at first....but her claws were nowhere near him and he surprised me by allowing her to stay.

Scruff, I believe, is establishing his position as "top cat."  He is nearly a year old and 3 months older than the others, so he is a bit larger. Plus he's burly, probably because he eats anything and everything in sight.  He has taken to raiding Harry's bowl and running off with strands of spaghetti!

The other two are still hesitant.  They are coming out of the back room, but not too far.  Imp has asthma and is half the size of everyone else, so he hangs back.  Calzini ….I haven't figured him out yet...he's a funny little guy...playful with his mates and nervous around us.  I'm sure he'll come around in time.

Bravo, Harry.  You are such a tolerant and sweet doggo.

I hear you knocking....but you can't come in.

One of my favorite things is when my whole pack and I go for walks together.  We do it a lot here!  There hasn't been any snow at all and not even much rain, but it has been pretty chilly sometimes.  

Well, one day a little while ago, we all went down to the "passagiata."  That's a nice, brick walkway just outside of the big gate.  It is where some of my favorite places are.  There is some dirt and grass and other good smelly green stuff because there is a park on one side.  And, there is Tibo.  It's a hooman place that let's us doggos in.  In the hot weather, they give me my very own cup of ice to keep me cool.

And then there is Con Amore.  My FAVORITE favorite place because they have gelato.  They know me there now, 'cause I'm a "regular."  Mmmmmmm...

So, we were walking on the passagiata and I know the way very well now, so I made sure my pack knew that we had to get gelato.  But...huh?  It was very strange.  I could not get in.  I couldn't even find the door!  Where is everybody?  What happened?  I kept looking, but I guess there was no one there, so I decided we had to head home.  I was sad, though.

But I wasn't sad yesterday!  We went on a big walk because it wasn't cold out and my favorite place was WIDE open, they even left the door open for me!  It was so nice to be out on a nice, sunny day having a gelato with my pack!

When the weather permits, we like to take a stroll on Sunday afternoons.  This winter has been very mild, so we were able to venture out even in the middle of January.  However, I had forgotten that Con Amore, the ice cream café, changed their hours for the winter months and closed on Sunday.

Harry was perplexed.  He very assuredly led us to the door, but the safety grate was down.  Poor Harry couldn't even see or find the door!  He must have been very disappointed because he kept trying for a couple of minutes before he decided it was no use.  I felt so sorry for him!

So we changed our "routine" and on the next really nice day - in February, when it hit over 60 degrees Fahrenheit, we took a walk along the promenade on Saturday afternoon.  This time, the store was open and Harry marched right in.  "One small yogurt, please...just for me.  I don't need a spoon, grazie."

Sooner or later, you sleep in your own space

Well, there are finally no new kitties coming inside.  Whew!!  Now there are just four.  Hahaha....just four!  

I am not sure why, but only Missy Tee gets to run around all over the house.  She drinks water from MY bowl and she plops herself down in MY bed, too!  Hmmmmph.

So I decided to take things into my own paws.  I beat her to it and I plopped down in my bed before she had a chance to.  AND I sat on her leash that she plays with like it is a snake or something.  She usually grabs the leash and drags it over to my bed and rolls around with it, but I sat on it instead.  She tried, but she couldn't get it out from under me...haha.  Silly kitty, I am much bigger than she is!  "Games over, Missy Tee - this MY bed!"

I like kitties, but sheesh.  Even Harry Spotter has his limits!

All of them are kittens, less than one year old.  All of them have worms. (!!!)  Two of them have asthma.  For the time being they are all separated as each is on a slightly different timeline with their worm medication and the two with asthma are each on two medications (four different medications in all)...one by one they will have more freedom, but for now, this is how it has to be.

Missy Tee gets the run of the place and chases, pounces on and flings around a leash like a toy.  (I have a wiggly fish coming soon for her amusement)  I also have an interactive ball that moves on its own but she is afraid of it!   And although she could explore further, she has chosen to stick to the back room, the adjoining dining room and the kitchen.  It seems strange that cats who were outdoors are not really very adventurous indoors...but that is why we are keeping these four. 

Tee "captures" the leash and then cannonballs into Harry's bed.  He surprised me by staying in it the other day and lying on top of the leash.  A small end was peeking out and Tee tried to pull it but Harry weighs 60 pounds (25 Kg) so it was no use.  Seems Harry got a bit fed up with his bed always being occupied by a playful kitten!  "Nope, not today...this is MY bed!" 

Oh, Everybody in the crowd is there....

Oh my gosh!  Cats! Cats!  There are so many cats in my house!  I like kitties, but this is getting ridiculous.  

Now there are lots and lots of kitties in the back room.  Only one of them, Missy Tee, gets to run around.  She is always stealing my beds.  But, she is kind of cute, anyway, even though it is a little annoying.  

And then there is Scruff.  I know Scruff.  He was outside all the time, and in our courtyard a lot, so we already knew each other before he came inside to stay.  He has a big playpen and he doesn't much want to come out.  Maybe he will get more comfortable after a while.

There is another little, tiny kitty.  He is black and white.  I think there is something wrong with him because Mom gives him special stuff in his food.  

Now there are more kitties....I don't know why we suddenly have so many.  It's getting very crowded and it's getting hard to keep track of them all and I have to check on them all day long to make sure they are ok.  I need a rest!

(Scruff in his hammock, Missy Tee in one of Harry's beds)




It is mating season here in our obscure hill town tucked away in Abruzzo, Italy.  Predatory male cats are seeking out the females.  We are trying to make a dent in the ballooning population of feral cats, at least in our little neighborhood.

I have the help of a neighbor.  She has graciously offered her help and her car to drive us to and from the veterinarian.  It would not be possible to do this without her.

Missy Tee was "in heat" when she was spayed.  She is now two weeks out, and bouncing around like a mischievous little monkey.  She adores Harry (and his beds) and has discovered the back window.  Yet, she willingly goes back in her "cage" at night to sleep.

Scruff, my all time favorite,  was one of a litter I bonded with when they first showed up for real food with their Mamma.  His baby sister was wounded badly in the eye and though we tried to help, she died at only 3 months of age.

Scruff had goopy eyes, but I was able to administer antibiotic drops and after a few applications, his eyes cleared up nicely.  He is becoming a big bruiser, not surprising, he loves to eat.  Now that he is inside and neutered, he is acting like a little prince.  "Feed me.  Feed me now.  Here's the bowl.  It's empty.  This is unacceptable."  However, he still is hesitant to explore beyond the back room.  Funny, since I thought he would be bolder.  Turns out, he's just a furry slug.

Imp, I believe, is Missy Tee's brother.  He has asthma and is smaller than he should be at 7 months of age.  He eats like a champ and is on steroid medication for the asthma.  He is still too frail and sick to venture from his "playpen."

In addition to those three, who will remain Harry's house companions, there are currently two more in the house.  One is Scruff's Mamma.  She was spayed yesterday and is recuperating nicely.  The other is Imp's and Missy Tee's sister.  We call her "Calze" (Cal-zay) which is Italian for "Socks."  She is light gray with white paws.  She goes to the vet on Saturday.

Our little kitty infirmary is a bit of work, but things should calm down after we, hopefully, trap Scruff's sister, Ink.  After that, we can take our time with the remaining males.

Harry is bewildered and concerned.  He must go into the back room a dozen times a day to check on each one.  "Hey, little kitty, how are you?"

Needless to say, we are all a bit exhausted!

You'll understand what happiness is....

Oh, boy!  Sorry I haven't said much lately, I've been really busy!  See, we have a cat now!  I am so happy because I've always wanted a kitty!

Her name is Tee.  She's still a baby and she's very playful.  She even has a playpen!!  It's a place where she can  jump around, up and down on different beds...and she has this hanging thing to run through.  And she has a ball to play with, too.

She isn't always in the playpen.  There is a chair in the room with her playpen, and my pack put some towels on it because Tee has little needles in her hands!  But when she jumps in that chair, she goes crazy with those towels!  She jumps on them, and hides under them and then she clumps them all up.  Then, she gets tired, haha.  Maybe that's why my Mom calls her a little monkey!

Then there's my bed in the kitchen.  I love that bed.  I love all my beds!  But I love THAT one because it is next to where the heat is.  I like to snuggle there a lot when the weather is cold.  Well, Tee likes it too.  She always heads for my kitchen bed and then she takes over the whole thing!  And she's so little, but she does it anyway!  

Izz all ok, though, because I like her and I'm really glad I finally have a kitty all my own.

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Little Miss Tee came along a few weeks ago and joined all the ferals outside.  However, she was different from the start.  I could pet her right away.  Other than the few that I've handled since they were tiny kittens, no feral lets me pet them.

Whenever I opened the courtyard door, she would scoot inside right away.

I don't know what her story is, but she was begging to be inside and stay inside.  At last, my husband relented.

We have, of course, given the ferals names, it is the only way to differentiate them.  ("Yeah, that one that is striped and gray but slightly darker than the other one"- is too cumbersome whereas "Sib" suffices)   So, Tee was dubbed T.S. because of her Tortoise Shell coat.  That and I liked the literary reference to T.S. Eliot.  T.S. has now become Tee, and also "Little Monkey."

She settled in quickly and soon her slightly wild yet extremely affectionate personality began to emerge.  Slightly wild, I think, because she is still a kitten, maybe five months old or so.

Harry goes in to check on his little buddy often, unless she is out stealing his beds.  Harry is such a gentle, kind pooch....he doesn't seem to mind at all.

Her "playpen" has three perches in it, plus a hammock that she gets lots of fun out of, and a couple of toys.  She has an appointment for spaying next week.  After her recovery, and the arrival of her halter, she will have much more freedom, but for now she seems perfectly satisfied being inside, warm, clean and fed.